25 Must-See Architectural Landmarks in Milan

Renowned as Italy’s fashionable economic engine, Milan not only abounds with sartorial trendsetters (Armani, Prada, and Versace are headquartered here) but also boasts a treasure trove of architectural wonders that even the most casual visitor can appreciate. The storied city, located in the northern region of Lombardy, has a colorful history that stretches back to 600 B.C. and includes a period as capital of the Italian Empire, under Napoléon. Organized around a historic core brimming with venerable landmarks, the city has a forward-thinking ethos that’s exemplified by the resurgence of enclaves such as Porta Garibaldi, where the country’s tallest building opened in 2012. Here, Architectural Digest highlights 25 of Milan’s intriguing landmarks, both old and new.

Duomo di Milano

Arguably the most famous site in Milan is the centrally located Duomo di Milano, a postcard-perfect Gothic cathedral whose construction spanned six centuries, from the 1380s to the 1960s. Clad in Candoglia marble, its detailed façade includes 135 spires and 3,400 statues, many of which can be viewed up close by ascending to the cathedral’s roof.

Santa Maria delle Grazie

Housing Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, Santa Maria delle Grazie is a cultural institution in its own right, with a stunning Gothic design by architect Guiniforte Solari. The original 15th-century building was later enlarged by the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, who commissioned the Leonardo masterpiece.

Bagatti Valsecchi Museum

In the 1880s the Bagatti Valsecchi brothers, Fausto and Giuseppe, enriched their family’s Centro Storico estate, amassing a splendid trove of 15th- and 16th-century paintings, furniture, and tapestries. Many of their favored pieces are on display at the home, now the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum, which opened to the public in 1994.

Museo del Novecento

The Palazzo dell’Arengario, a 1950s complex in central Milan, was transformed in 2010 by architects Italo Rota and Fabio Fornasari, who turned the aging structure into the Museo del Novecento. The museum houses an exemplary collection of 20th-century works almost exclusively by Italian artists.

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II

Completed in 1877 by architect Giuseppe Mengoni, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the oldest and most luxurious shopping centers in the world, occupying an ornate glass-roofed double arcade in central Milan.

Giardino Della Guastalla

In the 16th century, Paola Ludovica Torelli, Countess of Guastalla, became the owner of a Milanese estate and transformed it into a boarding school. The estate’s gardens were restored and opened to the public as a park in 1939.

Castello Sforzesco

In the 15th century, the Duke of Milan ordered an expansion of the Visconti Castle, now known as Castello Sforzesco, which houses a cluster of specialized museums, including the Museum of Ancient Art, home to frescoes by Leonardo da Vinci.

Fondazione Prada

Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, founder of OMA, Fondazione Prada debuted last year in a former distillery complex, comprising some 118,000 square feet of space (including a four-story tower clad in gold leaf).

Pinacoteca di Brera

La Torre Arcobaleno

In 1990 Milan-based Studio Original Designers 6R5 Network transformed this 115-foot water tower into a colorful totem—dubbed La Torre Arcobaleno, or Rainbow Tower—located in the bustling Porta Garibaldi neighborhood. The same firm oversaw a restoration of the tower last year.

San Carlo al Corso

Armani/Silos

Last year Giorgio Armani debuted Armani/Silos, a 50,000-square-foot exhibition space in the Porta Genova district. Originally built in the 1950s as a Nestlé granary, the space spreads over four floors and showcases more than 600 garments from the fashion house’s 40-year history.

Parco della Portello

On a 17-acre former industrial site in northwest Milan, designer Charles Jencks collaborated with landscape architecture firm LAND and Margherita Brianza to plan Parco della Portello, which opened in 2013.

UniCredit Tower

Opened in 2012, the UniCredit Tower complex in Porta Nuova Garibaldi was devised by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and includes a cluster of three buildings (including Italy’s tallest), plus a sculptural central piazza, which was designed in collaboration with AECOM and landscape studio LAND.

Bosco Verticale

Designed by architect Stefano Boeri, Bosco Verticale, or Vertical Forest, is a mixed-use complex that opened in 2014. Located in the Porta Nuova neighborhood, the project includes a striking pair of luxury residential towers with lushly planted terraces.

Villa Necchi Campiglio

Constructed in 1935 by Milanese architect Piero Portaluppi, Villa Necchi Campiglio was prominently featured in the 2009 film I Am Love and now operates as a historic house museum. It’s home to patron of the arts Claudia Gian Ferrari’s trove of early 20th-century pieces and works collected by the late textile magnate Alighiero de’ Micheli.

Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio

Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (San Siro)

Inaugurated in 1926, Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, or San Siro (as it’s known colloquially), is Milan’s most iconic sports stadium, home of A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. Architect Ulisse Stacchini and engineer Alberto Cugini were the masterminds behind the structure, which now contains a museum dedicated to the history of soccer in the city.

FOLLOW US

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (effective 1/2/2014) and Privacy Policy (effective 1/2/2014). Architectural Digest may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Your California Privacy Rights (effective 1/2/2014). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Condé Nast.